Fraud & Identity Theft Awareness

Stay educated and aware to safeguard your financial and personal data

First Bank values your safety, security, and financial well being.

Education and awareness are of the utmost importance in safeguarding your financial and personal data. We encourage you to take precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones. Please consider following and sharing the tips below.

Protect Your Information

One of the best ways you can protect yourself against fraud is by safeguarding your personal and financial information.

If you receive a call, text, or email, you should never provide the following information as it could be a scam:

Social Security number
Account number
Credit or Debit Card number or CVV
Online banking information (username, password, verification code)

Fraudsters can use this information to conduct fraudulent transactions and potentially impersonate you. Further, if you receive a suspicious text or email requesting your personal information, do not click on any links or attachments, and be sure to delete and report it.

First Bank will never call, text, email, or send a chat requesting that you provide this information either.

If you receive a message claiming to be First Bank requesting the above information, contact us right away so we can investigate.
If you receive a suspicious call, text, or email that you believe may be part of a scam, or believe you may have fallen for a scam, contact us and we will assist you with next steps.

Mitigate Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone illegally obtains and uses your personal or financial information without your knowledge, often leading to significant financial harm. Fraudsters steal Social Security numbers, bank account details, and credit card numbers to commit fraud or theft. The stolen information is often used to open new credit accounts, make unauthorized purchases, or apply for government benefits in your name.

Think you may have fallen victim to identity theft? Follow these steps.

Notify all your banks and financial companies right away. Contact us so that we can help protect you from future identity theft and related fraud on your First Bank accounts.
Contact any of the nationwide consumer reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to place fraud alerts on your file. Additionally, you have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report which prevents credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name. Read more about this step.
If you believe your identity theft stemmed from a data breach, please reference our resource, 21 Tips for Breach Victims. This document includes additional steps you can take to protect yourself, such as changing your passwords, adopting multifactor authentication when possible, setting up credit report monitoring, turning off the compromised debit card, setting account activity alerts to notify you of potential fraudulent and suspicious activities.
File a report with your local police department, which can help clear up your credit records later on, even if the perpetrator is not caught.
File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Explore Various Types of Fraud

Check Fraud

Check fraud occurs when an unauthorized person uses someone else’s checks, or check images, to make fraudulent purchases or withdrawals.

Learn how to identify check fraud red flags, plus ways to protect yourself.

Online and Digital Scams

Online and digital scams occur through deceptive emails, websites, or messages that trick people into providing personal information or money.

These scams often come in the form of phishing emails, fake websites, or fraudulent online shopping schemes.

Explore how to identify these types of scams and how to avoid them.

Business Email Compromise

Business email compromise, or BEC, exploits the fact that most of us rely on email to conduct both our personal and professional business and can cause significant financial damage to victims.

Read real-life scenarios and how BEC scams work.

Small Business Scams

Businesses and nonprofits face a variety of scams, including phishing, fake invoices, directory listings, and attempts to trick you into overpaying for goods or services.

Protecting your organization involves being vigilant, verifying information, and reporting suspicious activity.

Review the FTC's guide for business to learn more about these scams.

Imposter Scams

Imposter scams involve fraudsters pretending to be someone you trust, such as a government official, family member, or a company representative, to steal your money or personal information.
The imposter uses this trust to deceive victims into sending money or sharing personal information

Read imposter scam red flags, common methods, and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Other imposter scams

Business and Bank Imposters: When scammers pose as a bank, credit card company, or business representative asking to confirm account information, or that they are reaching out as you need to make a payment.

Government Imposters: The fraudsters pose as IRS agents, Social Security officials, law enforcement, Customs, and more, to demand that victims provide them with their personal information, or demand payment threatening arrest or other legal action if they do not comply.

Tech Support Scams: Fraudsters impersonate tech companies and claim the victim’s computer or phone has a virus, attempting to gain access to the system to access personal information, account and online banking information, or to “fix” a supposed issue, then charge you for unnecessary services.

Family and Grandparent Scams: This one involves a fraudster pretending to be a family member (often a grandchild) in distress, who needs money urgently. Oftentimes, the fraudster will ask that you not reach out to any other family members regarding the situation, because clearly, the sneaky scammer doesn't want you to learn that the supposedly distressed family member is just fine.

Romance Scams

Millions of people use online dating apps or social networking sites to meet someone. Instead of finding romance, many find a scammer trying to trick them into sending money.

Read romance scam real-life stories, and also how to avoid becoming a victim.

You’ve Won Scams

You get a call, letter, email, or text saying that you won something - maybe it’s a vacation, cruise, a lottery, or a sweepstakes. The person calling about your prize is so excited, and cannot wait for you to get your winnings!

But here’s what happens next... they say there are fees, taxes, or duties to pay. They ask for your credit card number, bank account information, or they insist you can only pay with cash, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or a payment app.

If you pay a scammer or share information, you lose. There is no prize. Instead, you get more requests for money, and more false promises that you won big.

Additional Resources

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Report fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This is the federal government's website where you can report fraud, scams, and bad business practices. You can also learn about the latest scams, plus get advice to help you avoid, report, and recover from scams.

Safe Money

Safe Money is a series of informational fact sheets developed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to help you recognize and avoid common financial frauds and scams. Consumer fraud impacts millions of Americans every year and often results in financial harm.

Explore Safe Money's complimentary fact sheets to learn about the most common types of consumer fraud, how each type works, the warning signs, and how to protect yourself and others.

AARP

AARP Fraud Watch Network is a free resource where you can learn how to proactively spot scams, get guidance from fraud specialists, and feel more secure knowing that they advocate at the federal, state, and local levels to protect you and enforce the law.

You can also look up a scam in the AARP Fraud Resource Center, with dozens of tip sheets on how to recognize and avoid common scams, including videos that break down how scams work.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Learn about some of the most common frauds and scams that the FBI encounters—as well as tips to help you stay safe and what to do if you're a victim.

Internet Crime Complaint Center

The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime. It is run by the FBI, the lead federal agency for investigating crime.

File a report

Close-up of a hacker's hands coding on laptop

Over 80% of businesses have been targeted by payment fraud.

Is your business prepared?

Learn ways to protect your business

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What are the 4 signs it's a scam?

Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know, say there's a problem or a prize, pressure you to act immediately, and tell you to pay in a specific way.

Learn more about avoiding scams